Fla. Man Acquitted in '81 NYC Murders

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, February 13, 2003

A Florida man was acquitted Friday of a 1981 double murder inside a bar, 18 months after the son of one of the victims helped police track him down.

The jury deliberated three days before returning its verdict for Frank Riccardi, 45, who said on the witness stand that he was hiding from the mob in Florida when the double homicide occurred.

Riccardi was accused of gunning down the owners of the Shamrock Bar in Queens on the night of his 24th birthday following an argument over a spilled drink. Richard Godkin, 35, and John D'Agnese, 22, were shot and killed.

"There was reasonable doubt you could drive a truck through. It was a tragic case of mistaken identity," said defense lawyer Larry Herrmann.

Riccardi, the son of a reputed Gambino family bookie, was living in Florida under an assumed name when a New York City cold-case detective arrested him in August 2001.

Brian Godkin _ who was 8 years old at the time his father was killed _ helped locate Riccardi after becoming a federal marshal.

At trial, the prosecution produced a pair of eyewitnesses, one of whom said Riccardi looked completely different but nevertheless identified him as the gunman.

If convicted Riccardi would have faced 25 years to life in prison.

A second suspect in the case was acquitted of the slayings in November. A third suspect was never tried after a witness _ Linda Gotti, the niece of the late mob boss John Gotti _ recanted her testimony.

Riccardi planned to return to Boca Raton, Fla., where he lives with his mother and 9-year-old daughter.